# The houseplant that changed the British Empire

An episode of [No One Saw It Coming](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1805005780), 7 Jun 2026, 26 min.

Audio: https://mediacore-live-production.akamaized.net/audio/02/l8/Z/ef.mp3

On the face of it, it’s just a box. It has wooden slats, a peaked roof and glass panels. But inside this box is something that will breathe, grow, and impact lives around the world, for better or worse. Dr Luke Keogh (author, The Wardian Case: How a Simple Box Moved Plants and Changed the World) tells Marc Fennell (Stuff The British Stole) the story of how a box designed to grow plants became a tool for imperial horticulture and rewrote the future of the British Empire. Binge all the episodes of No One Saw It Coming now on ABC listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. Get in touch: Got a story for us? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at noonesawitcoming@abc.net.au

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